I would like to pretend it's because that the people are tired of feeding the machine that is Wal-Mart.

So their sales have been flat for a year because of the social security tax break that expired last month? Is that Obama's time machine in action again?

babysealclubber: I would like to pretend it's because that the people are tired of feeding the machine that is Wal-Mart.

Speaking as a broke Wal-Mart-type person, I promise there's at least one.

Yes, that's right, Mike Duke. There's no such thing as a lower class that you need to concern yourself about. America only has a middle class, and those aspiring to BE middle class. See, they make $40,000 a year. That's why they're paying $15 more a week.

How about instead of being blase about it, let's assume a mythical lower class person who puts a 38 hour work week in at a bit over minimum wage. They'd love to put in those last 2 hours, but it's labeled as stealing time and would require them to have different benefits, so they'd be fired for it. We could call these people "Retail Employees" for short, and they make about a third of what your previous group, the middle class aspire-ers make. So the case you're making here is that [Obama stole]* $5 a week from these people, and that you've built a business model on people being so goddamn broke that $5 a week in discretionary income can break their shopping habits.

FASCINATING.
/* in all fairness, the article and quotes seemed pretty matter-of-fact about the increase rather than yelling that it was a mistake, just acknowledging that it exists. But I can't read any of this shiat anymore without a mental "Thanks a lot, Obama" at the end. It's like a fortune cookie and "in bed" at this point.

So they are putting in a Woolmort here in Snalbans, Vermont.
I was talking to one of the people on the town council over dinner and he actually believes that this is a mark of progress, that it is a contribution to a working model of prosperity for his town.
I couldn't find the words small enough to make him understand it's just the death knell for his little cow-town.
20 Years ago, they didn't have meth and oxcy heads running around with guns in the town. 20 Years ago there were no clinics to ease junkies out of their self imposed misery while some taxpayer funded social worker held their hand while singing Kumbayah. 20 years ago, this doofus of a town rep was in high school, smoking doobs and drinking underaged.  And yet, here he sat. All proud of the accomplishment he was making in forcing local family owned and operated stores out of business. Well, in 20 years, when he's the greeter at the Woolmort, big blow out, going out of business sale that is the sure inevitability of all of this, I'll be sure to set foot into that store for the first time in my life, and I will repeat those words of his from dinner this weekend. I'll make sure he remembers that night when he was so smug and sure of the prosperity that he would bring to his stinking shaithole of a town.
Nothing but a destination for Quebecers who can't even speak one language correctly. They'll be slumming that store and keeping it alive until the local crew finally runs out of people stupid enough to think that merry-go-round of a corporation give them anything other than false hope and despair.
Bon Chance, you farking hosers.
Putting in a woolmort is the equivalent of putting up a sign that says, "Welcome, junkies, thieves, and muggers. We don't care".

Having done more than thier fair share to insure that hourly workers remain at or below the poverty level, WalMart finally discovers that the disappearing middle class is not good for thier bottom line.

World's tiniest violin.jpg

How about instead of taxing the rich and the corporations,

we just move the money from the subsidies we're giving exceptionally profitable and comfortable entities

and put it into the infrastructure and supporting the "safety-net"

No extra taxes, no extra debt.  Same "waste".

/I know, I know...I'm a liberal traitor now, sorry...didn't mean to step over my bounds as a centrist.

NewportBarGuy: You mean lowering taxes on middle and low income workers has an almost instantaneous impact on the economy?

Who knew?!

Wait, I was told that only tax breaks for the Real Americans that make over $250,000 matter!

Once they pick themselves up by their bootstraps they'll be fine.

I am betting that the farking blizzard didn't help much either.

Everyone's income just went down 2%. Plus gas prices are high.

No surprise people are spending less.

Erebus1954: Everyone's income just went down 2%.

On income up to ~113k.

Erebus1954: No surprise people are spending less.

except Walmart's sales have been flat for a year.